Ingredients

• 225ml/8fl oz milk
• ½ onion
• 12 black peppercorns
• 25g/1oz butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 2 free-range eggs
• separated
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 100g/3½oz semi-hard goats' cheese
• grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• watercress
• to serve

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.
• Place the milk
• onion and peppercorns into a pan over a medium heat and bring to scalding point (but do not boil). Strain the milk into a bowl and discard the onion and peppercorns.
• Meanwhile
• melt the butter in a clean pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir well for one minute to create a paste.
• Gradually add the heated milk
• a little at a time
• waiting for the flour to bubble before adding more milk and stirring between additions. Keep adding to create a smooth sauce.
• Remove the pan from the heat
• then add the egg yolks and thyme and whisk to combine.
• Add 75g/2½oz of the goats' cheese
• season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• Add a small spoonful of the egg whites to the cheese sauce and mix well.
• Gradually add generous spoonfuls of the egg whites to the cheese sauce
• gently folding the whites into the sauce
• until the whites are completely combined with the sauce.
• Butter and flour four 150g/5oz ramekins and divide the cheese mixture among them.
• If cooking to serve immediately
• sprinkle the soufflés with the remaining goats' cheese; if planning to store and reheat
• reserve the cheese for later.
• Transfer the soufflés to an ovenproof dish and add enough water to the dish to come a third of the way up the ramekins.
• Carefully place into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes
• or until risen.
• The soufflés can be cooled and stored in the fridge
• or even frozen
• to be cooked later. If reheating
• defrost or remove from the fridge
• top with the remaining cheese and place into an oven preheated to 180C/365F/Gas 4 and bake for 8-10 minutes
• or until heated through.
• To serve
• place the soufflés onto plates and place a handful of watercress alongside.